Cool Rider (Grease 2)

Chapter 32

"I hope your parents are already in bed," Sharon whispered to Louis as they stood on his doorstep.

"I wish," he said opening the unlocked door. Even now his mom still had the annoying habit of waiting up for him, in many respects he wished he could trade places with Sharon.

"Louie is that you?" his mom called. "I'm in the living room, just finishing up on a few things."

"Yeah right," he muttered under his breath and Sharon elbowed him.

"Louis, don't say anything to your mom yet about being engaged."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"I don't want it getting out until I've had a chance to tell my mom and dad."

"That is not a conversation I'm looking forward to." Her dad probably would expect him to ask permission, and would then take great delight in making him jump through hoops before he granted it. "Maybe we should tell them when we get the ring."

"Don't even mention rings after tonight," Sharon exclaimed. "I don't think I'd dare wear one in front of Paulette."

Louis opened the living room door shrugging. "That girl has issues."

"Who has issues?" his mom asked looking up. "Oh, hello Sharon."

"Is it okay if Sharon stays here tonight, she's locked out?"

Louis's mom frowned slightly. "Locked out? How on earth did that happen?"

"I lost my door keys," Sharon said looking down. "And my mom's out, she probably won't be home tonight."

"Right," she said her frown deepening. "You can take Louis's bed, and he can sleep on the sofa." She gave him a hard stare. "Come with me, I'll get you some blankets."

Pulling a face Louis followed his mom upstairs on the hunt for some blankets. She got them out of the cupboard, thrusting an armful at him.

"Ma I don't need this many."

"Put an extra one on your bed, Sharon will probably get cold. Have you seen how thin she is? Honestly, I bet her mother doesn't feed her. What's she playing at leaving her alone all night? It's neglectful."

Louis shrugged. "She is eighteen, she's old enough to be left and I think she can feed herself."

"Don't be sarcastic. A mother's responsibilities don't end when their child turns eighteen, if she wants to live like a single woman then she should let Sharon go live with her father."

Louis grimaced at the thought. "I don't think Sharon would want to, she doesn't really get along with her stepmom."

Louis's mom tutted. "The whole situation is wrong. And don't you think of going anywhere near your bedroom while Sharon is in it. I'm not having anything happen when she's under my roof."

"Eh," Louis said playing dumb. "I don't know what you mean."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't come down in the last shower Louie, you will stay downstairs. I'm a light sleeper and so is your father so don't even think about it."

Louis had to stifle a laugh, so his dad was a light sleeper, was he? With the amount he drank it was unlikely an earthquake would wake him. He followed his mom back into the living room.

"There's a spare blanket here," she said passing the blanket to Sharon who took it looking nervous. "I'll go make you something to eat."

"Oh it's fine, honestly," Sharon said quickly.

"Let her do it," Louis said as soon as his mom was out of the room. "She thinks you're too thin."

Sharon frowned. "I don't need fattening up."

"Just humour her." He suddenly chuckled. "You know when we're married she'll want to fatten you up before you have a baby."

"What!" She looked appalled.

"I'm joking, kinda."

"Hmm," she said chewing her lip. "You know my mom said your mom wouldn't accept us being together cos I'm not Catholic or Italian."

"Nah, she doesn't care about that or she'd have said something ages ago." He frowned trying to remember if she ever had. "I think your mom's just bitter."

"Maybe," Sharon said her brows furrowed. "But there's a difference between a girlfriend and a wife."

He looked nervously towards the door, then lowered his voice. "I don't think it'll be a problem, but say it is, she's gonna have to suck it up. I think your dad is the one who's gonna have objections."

"I hope not," Sharon said, and Louis hushed her up as his mom rejoined them placing a pile of sandwiches on the table.

"Help yourselves," she said before pausing and tilting her ear towards the window. "What's that noise? Is that a police siren?"

Louis listened, not hearing anything at first. "I think it might be an ambulance," he said straining to hear the fading sound.

"Hopefully it's nothing too serious. Now come along, eat up." She looked at Sharon expectantly, her face breaking into a smile as Sharon reached for a sandwich.

***

"Where is he?" Steph asked no one in particular as she paced up and down waiting for Michael to return. "It doesn't take this long to get to Paulette's house and back."

"Maybe he went home," Rhonda said.

"Yeah, this party sucks," Goose added.

Steph shook her head. "No, he said he'd come straight back here. He wouldn't just go home without telling me."

"He might have got held up with Paulette," Rhonda suggested. "She was pretty upset."

"It hasn't even been an hour," Johnny said. "Paulette probably invited him in for a drink or something."

"Yeah, she's probably lining up your replacement Johnny," Goose said and Rhonda giggled beside him.

"Knock it off," Johnny said giving him a dark look but Steph thought Goose had a point. She didn't think Paulette would be making a move on Michael but she could see her crying on his shoulder, and Michael would be far too polite to tell her to get lost.

"Can I use your phone?" she asked Johnny. "I wanna call Paulette."

"Sure, go ahead." He indicated to telephone, and she picked up the receiver quickly dialling. Impatiently she held the phone to her ear, trying to block out the noise from the party.

"No reply," she said putting the phone down, and Johnny frowned.

"It's not like Paulette not to answer. Maybe they stopped off somewhere."

"Michael wouldn't do that when he'd told me he'd come straight back here," Steph said her anxiety rising.

"Maybe there's a fault on the line," Johnny said but his frown deepened. "Unless they're otherwise engaged with each other."

"Shut up!"

She picked up the phone again and called Michael's aunt and uncle. "Hi, I'm sorry to call so late but is Michael home?" She crossed her fingers. 

"No, I thought he was with you," Michael's aunt said.

"He was, but he gave someone a ride home and he's not back yet. He must have been held up." She tried to make her words sound light, as she swallowed down her fear. "Okay, I'll have him call you when he gets here. Bye."

She turned to face the small group gathered around her. "He's not at home, and he's not at Paulette's."

"I bet he's got a flat tyre," Goose said, and she saw Johnny's face visibly relax.

"Yeah, I bet that's it." He laughed with relief. "Paulette is gonna be fuming."

Stephanie shook her head, a feeling of dread washing over her. "I don't think he has a flat tyre. Something's happened. I know it, I just know it."

***